What was the situation for that group/institution before Gorbachev became Premier?
Brezhnev was in charge before Gorbachev’s policies. He tried to improve the USSR's position by reviving Khrushchev's policy of decreasing hostility with the United States.
This policy was formed in the 1970s, when Nixon was President.
During the SALT era, the Soviets just wanted to calm the West rather than to intimidate it.
During the Brezhnev era, there was an effort to step up the recruitment and training of officers of non-Russian nationalities.
The rising ethno-nationalism in Soviet society carried over into the armed forces, making things harder and the challenges within the military provoking the existing military system from a variety of national movements.
There were rising pressures for changes in military structures and practices that would bring the armed forces under greater control by public authorities. Major changes were made to turn the Russian military into a professional one.
How did that group/institution interpret the application of those policies to it?
There was evidence that senior military officers were very skeptical to pay the price in obtaining something, in investment for military research and development and structure that Gorbachev evidently believed his agenda required. This was because Gorbachev needed better forces to fight his opposition. .
Some participants argued that the Soviet government and it’s officials would not want to take the risk of withdrawing from Eastern Europe.
The Soviet military was not only worried about the USSR’s approach to defense posture but was also worried about the future military viability of Russia.
Gorbachev actions also decreased the military’s prestige and humiliated its military publically. The leaders of the ministry of Defense were accused of not being good enough and the military was criticized for the very first time.
How did the Soviet state apply those policies to that group/institution, and what were the effects?
Gorbachev removed generals and replaced them with other men to conduct his own policies for gun control. Soviet military also began to speak openly on several issues. But in glasnost in the military was far behind on reporting of economic, and political issues.
Gorbachev was confident on his political reforms to help the military respond well to the new policies.
The Soviet military could tailor glasnost to promote perestroika to improve training methodologies and the quality of the manpower on an individual basis.
There was a right to criticize command decision given to the lower ranks. This provoked angry complaints from older officers that perestroika was polluting the sacred and historic unity of command.
Glasnost: It was designed to make an exchange of opinions and ideas which was in the best interests of the country and its leaders. By actually making the activities, Soviet military reforms believed that public opinions would assist in correcting some of the army’s major problems.
What was the significance of Gorbachev’s reforms as it pertained to that group/institution?
It can be seen that Gorbachev saw a deep and strong connection between his program of economic reconstruction and the need to restructure the military policies. Since he came to power he made a number of important and crucial changes in the military and security area of the government that had important results for civil-military relations in the U.S.S.R.
The Restructuring measure were largely stable with enhanced military effectiveness.
The Soviet Military agreed that the usual high tech battlefield needed to be reduced in size in order to enhanced mobility, and effectiveness among other factors.He emphasized on quality rather than quantity.
The changes he made indicated that he had given high priority to the soviet foreign policy which was mainly to improve the relations with the United States and the West in general.
Soviet naval activity against the West and the United States had decreased in tempo since he addressed the party congress in 1986. He controlled military expenses and made political oversight over the military greater.
Gorbachev and his political allies had made a powerful political challenge to the military’s traditional preferences
The military’s status began to decline in the mid-1970s but the process increased after Gorbachev assumed power. The result was a political struggle over control of military policy and military-industrial decision making for weapons and technology.
All his policies lead to the political and economics costs of keeping up with the USSR’s current huge forces. The military cuts resulted from Soviet force reductions, defense budget cuts and restructuring making their defense and attacks weaker than before.
Hewett, Edward A., and Victor H. Winston.Milestones in glasnost and perestroyka. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1991. Print.
Alexiev, Alex, and Robert Nurick. The Soviet military under Gorbachev: report on a RAND workshop. Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND, 1990. Print.
Hewett, Edward A., and Victor H. Winston.Milestones in glasnost and perestroyka. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1991. Print.
Alexiev, Alex, and Robert Nurick. The Soviet military under Gorbachev: report on a RAND workshop. Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND, 1990. Print.
"Gorbachev's New Thinking." Global. Version n.a.. Council of Foreign Relations, 1 Jan. 1988. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/44001/david-holloway/gorbachevs-new-thinking>.
Gross, Natalie A. . Perestroika and Glasnost in the Soviet Armed Forces. n.a.: Natalie A Gross, 1988. Print.